Selling a bicycle
This is about a straight sale, not an auction, but I couldn't find anywhere else that could answer my question. If this is not appropriate, please delete.
When selling an item, if there are multiple buyers who are all interested, how do you break a tie the fair way? I can't just take the first responder, because all came in very close in time with all others. I don't even know how many are serious and can't spend the time to sort that out. Would it be appropriate to send a message to all saying anybody that's interested, submit a bid higher than my stated price?
51 comments
laststopgeneralstore
·2 years agoThis isn't about being fair...
Life isn't fair...
First one to enter their payment information and pay you what you want gets it...
That's that, end of story.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoI curious to know what model and frame-builder is this bike that everyone is apparently ga-ga over - Eddie Merckx's hour record track bike? The one Lance Armstrong rode into perdition? An Orange Krate?
woodrowmo-30
·2 years agoAs you suggested, you could send a message to all interested parties saying that the item will be sold to the buyer who offers a bid higher than your stated price. This can help gauge the level of seriousness of the interested buyers and might lead to a clear winner.
You could create a mini auction among the interested buyers. Let them know that you're holding a short bidding window (maybe an hour or so) during which they can submit their highest bids. The highest bidder at the end of the window wins the item.
silverbb55
OP2 years agoI clicked off of this as it is no use to me and I don’t want to answer or even read anymore as it makes me mad that I was just looking for a friendly advice from the biggest group of sales experts I-know, but never more.
bonjourami
·2 years agoYou expected to find FBM experts on an Ebay board? Ok.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoWe are sorry that you feel that way. What you got was "friendly advice"; however, respectfully, would like to point out that most of us were asking for more information. The main and most important fact that was missing from your message was the question: Did you sell this on eBay or somewhere else? If it was an eBay sale, it must have been under a different eBay ID and we asked for the item #? Then we began speculating on all the possibilities. Was there a reason why you couldn't just come back and tell us the eBay item #? Or tell us where the sale was made?
No one here intended to offend you. We were trying to help with the limited info you provided.
fern*wood
·2 years agoThat's a shame, because this is a great place to get advice (asked for or not) and answers to questions, but as the answers you got show---we needed a few details that only you knew in order to offer appropriate information/advice. I have no idea why you wouldn't offer some clarity and then be offended we didn't provide what you wanted. People here are good, but not many are mind readers.
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·2 years agoWe can't give good advice when you left out so many factors.....one big one being was this even listed on eBay??????????
luckythewinner
·2 years agoThe "biggest group of sales experts you know" were almost unanimous in saying you needed to give them more information, but you chose not to.
So I can understand why you are mad at yourself.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoI clicked off of this as it is no use to me and I don’t want to answer or even read anymore as it makes me mad that I was just looking for a friendly advice from the biggest group of sales experts I-know, but never more.
Difficult to provide advice without information. Based on the limited amount of data you provided most responders simply stated sell it to the first buyer that has the cash.
redlinear
·2 years agoGotta be FBM
soh.maryl
·2 years agoSo, three pages and almost 40 replies and we're no closer to resolving the issue than we were to begin with.
Can hardly wait for the OP to return and say that no one tried to help.
josephb555
·2 years agoWhen you have a straight sale it is first come first serve. The first one to click "buy it now" is entitled to the item. In a straight sale you are not allowed to ask for more money. Only in an auction can buyers out bid one another.
flyingmvp
·2 years agoI would highly recommend to avoid selling bicycles on this platform, as a past seller of quite expensive MTB's here, you're making yourself extremely vulenrable to scammers and crooks, even the ones who ride...
Try Pinkbike, it is Seller to buyer transaction, no fees, no fake feedbacks or buyer extortion afterwards.
Good luck.
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoSend a counter offer to those whose offers are acceptable.
Or avoid the problem by setting an Acceptable amount when you set up your Best Offer.
The first one who gives an Acceptable Offer is immediately invoiced.
You just see the sale.
Thus the bike is listed at $1000 but you would accept $875.
You set $875 as the Acceptable price.
At the same time you could set the automatic polite refusal --say at $777.
If offers are between $778 and $874 you can pick and choose.
But otherwise you have no decision to make.
in this case, I received 10+ inquiries within 5 minutes, some needing more information and others simply asking if it was for sale,
The ones asking if it was for sale are scammers. Block them.
The others, one or two questions are reasonable, more and you have at best a timewaster and at worst a scammer. Block them.
Now look at all the questions*. Draft an answer that answers ALL of them.
Send that to all the customers. No further explanation should be necessary.
Revise your listing with the information that you were asked for.
*Questions that are already answered in the Description are possibly from scammers. Be cautious with those customers.
mtgraves7984
·2 years agoIf it's a FBM sale, do they not have a forum for such questions? I'll bet it doesn't work like it does on eBay.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoAs others mentioned I don't see a listing for you under this account. Are you offering local pickup only which is why you know some of these people? If not the shipping cost on this may be a killer. Bottom line like others said first person in line with the cash wins.
jerseyboymusic
·2 years agoThere are no Ebay listings on the OP account they are posting under. I assume a "straight sale" is a "Buy It Now" listing.
I'm confused. The OP also said to read the first paragraph of the original post, but still not understanding what's being asked.
@silverbb55 - are you selling this on Ebay or another site?
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·2 years agoBy straight sale I think they mean like selling it on Facebook or something.
jerseyboymusic
·2 years ago@momtoabeautifuldaughter then if that's the case, @silverbb55 would need to do "first come first served". Cash in hand.
If I sell on FBM, I try to honor the order in which I get queries... I set up a time and if they miss that or are no show, I go down the list.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoThere are no Ebay listings on the OP account they are posting under. I assume a "straight sale" is a "Buy It Now" listing.
Lots of sellers have multiple accounts and use them for separate things like selling, buying and posting on this forum. While there is nothing wrong with that it makes it difficult to do any kind of assessment with regards to the posting when they ask a question.
I'm confused. The OP also said to read the first paragraph of the original post, but still not understanding what's being asked.
Same here.
@silverbb55 - are you selling this on Ebay or another site?
jerseyboymusic
·2 years agoYes.. I made this account my posting account. I used to sell under this ID but consolidated everything to my main one
soh.maryl
·2 years agoSo you are saying that you are also silverbb55?
If that's the case, why not tell us where you listed this item for sale -- I mean EXACTLY where you listed it.
jerseyboymusic
·2 years ago@soh.maryl
Oh, no... I am not this silverbbb person!
I guess I was saying I know about posting accounts vs selling accounts that post here LOL
soh.maryl
·2 years agoRespectfully, please re-read that message. Doesn't it sound like you are saying that you're the OP?
jerseyboymusic
·2 years agoI'm sorry it came out that way...
fab_finds4u
·2 years agoIs this on another name because I can't see the listing.
Selling an expensive item on an account with zero feedback for selling attracts scammers. Everything they need to know is in the listing so there should be no reason to contact you. You should start out selling low cost items and gain some feedback for selling because scammers rarely try to trick experienced sellers.
I would make the listing buy now with immediate payment required. I would also set my buyer requirements to require a payment method before they can bid, and before they can make an offer.
https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·2 years agoI don't even think it's an eBay item, I think they are selling it on Facebook or something due to the fact they said they know some of the interested parties and don't want to upset them.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoSome of us are wondering if this is on a different account, or perhaps listed on a different venue.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoCare to show us the eBay item number?
silverbb55
OP2 years agoCare to read the first paragraph of my original post?
inhawaii
·2 years agoWe all read it, but most of us (including myself) assumed when you said "straight sale, not an auction" that you meant that it was a fixed price/buy it now listing.
Sorry for the confusion.
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·2 years agoWe read it but think we assumed since you were asking this question that maybe just maybe it had something to do with eBay.
Just sell it to the first person who comes up with the money and move along
fern*wood
·2 years agoInstead of insinuating we can't read, why not consider you didn't clearly ask your question. A response clarifying your question would have been nice. Since this is an ebay seller board, of course we are going to read your question as an ebay question. I guess saying "straight sale" was supposed to clear the matter up, since you knew what you meant, but my clue was saying you were asked if it was for sale. That's a facebook question. Just state the situation and don't make people go on a scavenger hurt to figure out what you meant.
mtgraves7984
·2 years agoAmen. 'Straight sale' could mean 'Yard Sale', as far as we know. 🙄
luckythewinner
·2 years agoOkay, I'll play your game.
Where are you selling it and what did you say about how you would handle the sale when you made it available for sale?
What is your definition of "interested"? Have they just inquired? Have they made a payment ? Have you made and commitments to them?
What is your definition of "a tie"? They offered the same money? They offered at the same time? They paid you at exactly the same time? They promised to pick it up and pay at exactly the same time?
What is your definition of "fair"? Fair to you? Fair to them? Fair with regard to how a religious deity might judge you?
All that aside ...
Every seller I have always dealt with has basically said the same thing: "The first person who puts the cash in my hand gets it. So you better hurry."
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·2 years agoI agree with the above poster. Sounds like you are selling this on Facebook or a similar platform and not eBay since you say you know some of these people.
If this isn't an eBay item I'm not sure why you are asking here?
fern*wood
·2 years agoAre you even selling this on ebay? That one question sounds more like facebook.
maxine*j
·2 years agoI wondered about that, too. Didn't sound "eBayish" to me, either.
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johnrj1226
·2 years agoWith a fixed price listing (or a straight up sale as you call), whoever pays up first wins - they are the only buyer you have. "Interested" people are just "shoppers".
You can't all of a sudden change a fixed price listing to a bidding war 'cause you have "lots of interest".
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years ago"I can start messaging each back, but it's not fair to the last person on the list as the first could answer saying he wants it before I give the last guy a chance to respond."
This is a business transaction. Stop focusing on "fair" and start thinking about how you can make the most money out of this transaction. As others have noted, your item is available for anybody to purchase right now, so those who fail to do so, and who start asking questions instead, are just forfeiting any right to claim that they were there first. "You snooze, you lose!"
Just answer any legitimate questions, and block the member who asked for phone contact. When answering questions, you might briefly mention that you have gotten a lot of interest ("Sorry it took so long to reply; I have received so many inquiries to answer...") , to light a fire under them.
https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/BuyerBlock
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·2 years agoI don't think they are even selling this on eBay. I think it's Facebook or something because they said they know some of these people and don't want to upset any of them.
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years agoYup, I missed that part about knowing some of the people. Asking for advice here makes no sense since eBay works totally differently. It's an interesting contrast, since somehow the eBay option would be simpler!
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoMy guess as to why @silverbb55 posted on ebay would be that at least one of the suspected scammers suggested that they'd pay and ebay would "hold the funds in escrow," a message similar to those who want to buy a car receive from scammers on Craigslist and Facebook. The OP would then get a fake receipt from (not) ebay showing that payment was made.
inhawaii
·2 years agoBecause of the overwhelming response, maybe you are considering raising your asking price?
But as others have said, inquiring means nothing.
You may have a dozen inquiries but coming up with the cash is another thing.
My advice...
Set the price at what you are happy to get.
Don't forget to include expenses such as shipping, ebay fees and tax.
The first one to buy it wins.
Good luck!
susanb1872
·2 years agoYou might want to look at their feedback-in particular, the feedback they leave for others. I have heard this before in other posts and that this might help you sort out troublesome buyers.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoIf it's not an auction, how can they submit a bid? If these folks are making offers, would you not simply accept the best offer?
And I see no current listings for you, so what are we talking about here?
alcoforever
·2 years agoThe first one that pays you wins. Questions mean nothing.
inhawaii
·2 years agoIf this is not an auction, if this is for a buy it now/fixed price listing, you set the price and the first one who buys it wins.
Easy.
silverbb55
OP2 years agoThanks, and I understand the basics, but in this case, I received 10+ inquiries within 5 minutes, some needing more information and others simply asking if it was for sale, for which I replied that I would get back to them soon. Another said he wanted it, and call for me to call some phone number, which I'm guessing he had bad intentions. I can start messaging each back, but it's not fair to the last person on the list as the first could answer saying he wants it before I give the last guy a chance to respond. I'm trying to be as fair as I know how to so it can't be held against me later, as I know some of these folks.
simply-the-best-for-you
·2 years agoNone of that matters. Whoever pays first, buys it. You have no say in the matter.
ETA: Also, you are correct, do NOT call any phone numbers, do not text, do not be open to taking the sale off Ebay. All questions should occur on the site.